Number talk is a shared experience where students learn to understand why they are doing what they're doing and what their numbers mean. Students learn together and from themselves.
The primary goal of Number Talks is computational fluency. This is accomplished through a short, ongoing daily routine that provides students with meaningful ongoing practice with computation. During a number talk children are asked to make connections and look for relationships and thus are engaged in "doing mathematics." When they share their strategies
with others, they learn to clarify and express their thinking, thereby developing mathematical language. A Number Talk is an opportunity for children to learn that they can figure things out for themselves in a way that makes sense to them. This is the true meaning of “life-long learner.”